Thailand Elite Visa 20 Year Term

[ianxrl]

Hello all!

 

Under 50 farang looking to relocate to Thailand long term. I’m curious why I can’t find any information from other posters about their experience with the Thailand Elite Visa program (20 year term). Do you have any feedback to share on the program? A burning question that I have is, is a return flight required on this specific TV? Do you enjoy the VIP experience at customs? Is 90 day reporting and TM30 able to be done remotely (say,  from Ko Samui).

 

thanks and blessings I’m advance 

[BKKTRAVELER]

I used to have the 5 years Elite visa option. I have never had to complain during my membership duration, everyone was polite and efficient. Limousine service and VIP treatment at the airport was indeed quite enjoyable. If you want that service for the 20 years visa, it'll have to be the 2 million baht option. You'll have other benefits as well (yearly physical check up, free golf court access and such). If you have the means and want to enjoy their services, go for it. Travel restrictions should ease as time passes by. You'll have to pay 20,000 baht in annual fees though.

 

But for me, the visa was the most valuable. Would I go for 2 million baht including services? No, I'd go with the 1 million baht option (no annual fees too). Do you travel internationally frequently or plan to? You'll have to make this decision for yourself.

 

TM30 will be done by yourself. 90 days report can be arranged by them for a fee but just in some areas (Bangkok, maybe Phuket as far as I know). 

 

The service when asking if I would get an extra year if I left the country and came back just before my membership expired did drop drastically. I was considered a criminal ????

 

Hope this help you.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, ianxrl said:

A burning question that I have is, is a return flight required on this specific TV?

Unusual question in that a throw away onward ticket is minimal expense. 

How old are you. Reason being that length of visa required to some extent depends on age. 

[richard_smith237]

Original Member - Membership was lifetime back then. 

5 Year renewable Visas / 90 entry (have to extend every 90 days)

Have to do 90 day reports / Filed TM30 years ago, no need to renew unless I move house. 

 

Return (or onward) flight is only required for Visa exempt entries to Thailand. 

Met off the plane taken through Immigration fast track Chanel (not exactly VIP, but often faster due to massive queues at Immigration).

No VIP treatment at Customs - walk through like everyone else. 

 

Arrival in Phuket for Sandbox was excellent - I was sat at the back of the plane and faced a 2 hr+ wait while everyone else in front of me was processed. Thai Elite met me, fast tracked me through & I was out of the airport within 20mins !

 

The AoT car to and from the airport is also convenient and removes the hassle of dealing with taxi’s.

 

Married now so don’t really need the Thai Elite Membership - comes in handy sometimes though. 

Have nearly sold it (30 years is transferable) but ppl seem to think they are paying for a second hand product and only want to pay less than the 20 year price (it doesn’t interest me to sell it for that). 

[Triglav]

I bought the 20-year plan. Purchase was a technical mess but after that it's been pretty smooth sailing. Fasttrack through immigration is nice, having free miracle lobby access in BKK is also nifty if you don't have other ways to get in for free. Thaielite people will walk you out through customs on arrival, but there isn't exactly a fastrack through there. I always go through the green corridor though. Not sure how it's implemented in practice but they've tightened down the rules a while ago so that any airport fasttrack does not apply to your companion, which is rather awkward.

 

I occasionally drop my passport with them for 90-day reports when online service is down, works fine as you'd expect. Outside of Bangkok, I believe they only have offices in Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket.

As others said, onward flight is a visa-exempt requirement, it's typically not needed for any entry with a visa, including thaielite one.

 

Business seems to have been brisk for them this past year, there was over a hundred 90-day report passports waiting to be picked up back in April.

 

 

[Tuvoc]

Even though I can get either a retirement extension or marriage extension, I do find the 20 year Elite an attractive option for ease of dealing with immigration every year and the airport experience. At the moment I can't quite stomach paying the 1 million baht, but I may well do in future.